Lawsuit May Decide High School Game Rights Online

COLIN FLY

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ownership of scholastic athletics coverage is at stake in a legal tussle brewing over a Wisconsin newspaper's decision to carry a high school football game live on its Web site last fall.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sued The Post-Crescent of Appleton and parent Gannett Co. as well as the Wisconsin Newspaper Association after the newspaper carried the state playoff game on its site Nov. 8.

The association said it believes it owns the rights to the online footage because it organized, supervised and sponsored the football tournament. The lawsuit, which is scheduled for trial Feb. 8, also said the association's ability to generate revenue needs to be protected. The association has a $7.1 million budget this year.

WIAA executive director Doug Chickering said the association is seeking only a ruling about its role and rights, not monetary damages.

Dan Flannery, executive editor of The Post-Crescent, said local sporting events represent the essence of local news coverage, and media outlets should be able to provide Internet coverage the same way they write stories or produce videos.